If no one reported news there would be no history.

Therefore the news should be reported fully without any incumbrance placed upon the reporting.

I am extremely concerned at the proposed ‘Contempt of Court Consultation Paper’ that the Law Reform Commission (LRC) have, in their learned wisdom, sent around hoping perhaps none of us in the media would actually read.

First I have to ask how many trials in the Cayman Islands have been stopped because of what has been published by our media?

I cannot name one off hand but this may have happened. If there are any the number must be minute compared to the number of trials, especially the criminal variety that unfortunately have arisen over the years.

Occasionally we all have had to apologise for something we have misreported or put our opinions in an editorial more forceful than we perhaps should that, in the opinion of the defendant’s lawyer could taint a jury’s opinion.

As I said, occasionally. In the nearly three years iNews Cayman has been publishing my knuckles have been rapped once and on another I had to send a copy of an Editorial I wrote to the court. I heard no more from that one.

Despite this the LRC are looking on placing a fine on publishers if our words cause a trial to be aborted and it is proved that the publisher intended that result.

How time consuming and costly for all parties that will be.

Just the idea of it makes my blood boil because it suggests we have a personal agenda to stop someone from obtaining due justice. It is outrageous to even contemplate it!

There is also no provisions in the consultation paper for any protection to journalists to name their source of information. There is however protection for ‘whistleblowers’ proposed but any anonymity he or she might be expecting will be lost if the very source he is likely to take it to – the media – has to expose him.

Then we have the Draconian and so out of date proposal to discourage the use of photography and video cameras in court.

There is much in this Consultation Paper that can only be seen as an attempt to muzzle the press from reporting.

What we report is history as soon as it is written. Any attempt at trying to remove parts will fail unless our hands are to be tied as being proposed.

A case in point was at the Fort George Re-opening Ceremony last Thursday (6). The original Fort George was bulldozed down by James (Jim) Bodden in 1972. It was reported as such and witnessed by iNews’ publisher, Joan (Watler) Wilson. The official government ‘history’ said it was “by a developer”.

Nothing bad must be mentioned because Jim Bodden is a Cayman National Hero. What nonsense!

One of the greatest heroes in the Bible is King David. He erred far more than that incident from our National Hero. The writers of the Bible did not remove his name or refuse to report it.

And we are supposed to be more worldly and open.

I am afraid when it comes to lawyers the more they can tie our hands the more money they make as we try to untie them.

That is an opinion. I am not saying it is a fact.

Don’t let me have to report it as history.